Dukungan keluarga membantu saya merasa tenang ketika saya stres.

Family support helps me feel calm when I am stressed.

Breakdown of Dukungan keluarga membantu saya merasa tenang ketika saya stres.

• adalah: to be
• saya: I
• ketika: when
• merasa: to feel
• tenang: calm
• membantu: to help
• stres: stressed
• dukungan keluarga: the family support

Questions & Answers about Dukungan keluarga membantu saya merasa tenang ketika saya stres.

What exactly does dukungan mean, and how is it formed?

Dukungan means support (as a noun), especially in the sense of emotional, moral, or practical backing.

It comes from the base verb dukung (to support) + the suffix -an, which often turns verbs into nouns:

• dukung → dukungan = support (the thing, the support itself)
• bantu → bantuan = help/assistance

So dukungan keluarga means family support, not to support the family.

Why do we say dukungan keluarga and not keluarga dukungan?

In Indonesian noun phrases, the main noun comes first, and the next noun typically explains or limits it.

• dukungan keluarga = support (dukungan) [from] family (keluarga)
• Literally: “support (of) family” = family support

If you said keluarga dukungan, it would sound wrong or confusing, because it would be like saying “support family” or “family of support”, which is not a normal structure.

Other examples:

• buku pelajaran = textbook (book for study)
• rumah sakit = hospital (sick house)

What is the difference between membantu and menolong, and why is membantu used here?

Both membantu and menolong can be translated as to help, but there is a nuance:

• membantu: general help, including making something easier, giving support, facilitating something
• menolong: more like to rescue, to save, or to directly help someone in a more concrete or urgent situation

In this sentence:

• Dukungan keluarga membantu saya merasa tenang...
  "Family support helps me feel calm..."

We are talking about support that makes it easier for you to feel calm internally. That fits membantu very well.
Menolong would sound more like rescuing you, which is less natural for emotional support in a general statement.

What does merasa do here? Could we just say membantu saya tenang?

Merasa means to feel.

• membantu saya merasa tenang = helps me to feel calm
• membantu saya tenang = helps me be calm

Both are grammatically possible, but:

• merasa tenang focuses on your subjective feeling of calmness.
• tenang without merasa focuses more on the state of being calm.

So the original emphasizes my feeling:
Family support helps me feel calm (inside), not just be in a calm situation.

You could also say:

• membantu saya menjadi tenang = helps me become calm
• membuat saya merasa tenang = makes me feel calm

Why is there no untuk before merasa, like membantu saya untuk merasa tenang?

Both are possible:

• membantu saya merasa tenang
• membantu saya untuk merasa tenang

In everyday Indonesian, untuk after membantu is often omitted because the meaning is clear without it. Adding untuk can make the sentence feel a bit more formal or careful, but it is not required.

So the shorter version without untuk is very natural.

Why is ketika used here? Can I use saat or waktu instead?

Ketika, saat, and waktu can all mean “when (at the time that)”, but there are slight nuances:

• ketika – neutral, a bit bookish/formal, very common in writing
• saat – very common in spoken and written Indonesian, quite natural
• waktu – literally “time”, also used as “when” in many contexts

You could also say:

• ... ketika saya stres.
• ... saat saya stres.
• ... waktu saya stres.

All are acceptable, and in this sentence the meaning is practically the same. Many speakers might prefer saat in casual speech:

• Dukungan keluarga membantu saya merasa tenang saat saya stres.

Why is saya repeated? Can I say ... membantu saya merasa tenang ketika stres instead?

Yes, you can omit the second saya:

• Dukungan keluarga membantu saya merasa tenang ketika saya stres.
• Dukungan keluarga membantu saya merasa tenang ketika stres.

Both are correct.

In Indonesian, the subject is often dropped when it is clear from context. By removing the second saya, you avoid repetition and the sentence is still clear: the person who is stressed is obviously saya.

The version with repetition is still correct and quite common, especially in careful or formal writing.

Why is it saya stres, not something like saya sedang stres?

In Indonesian, adjectives (including many borrowed ones like stres) can directly act as predicates:

• saya stres = I am stressed
• dia marah = he/she is angry
• mereka capek = they are tired

You can add sedang to emphasize “currently, right now”:

• saya sedang stres = I am currently stressed

In this general statement, ketika saya stres (when I’m stressed) is already clear enough, so sedang is optional.

How would I say “my family’s support” more explicitly? Can I use keluargaku or keluarga saya?

You have several options, all correct but with different style/formality:

1. Dukungan keluarga saya membantu saya merasa tenang...
   = The support of my family helps me feel calm. (neutral/formal)

2. Dukungan keluargaku membantu aku merasa tenang...
   = More informal/intimate (using -ku and aku).

3. Dukungan dari keluarga saya membantu saya merasa tenang...
   = The support from my family helps me feel calm.
   (dari = from; explicitly marks the source.)

Without saya/ku, dukungan keluarga can mean family support in general, or my family’s support if the context is clear.

Can I move ketika saya stres to the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Both orders are natural:

• Dukungan keluarga membantu saya merasa tenang ketika saya stres.
• Ketika saya stres, dukungan keluarga membantu saya merasa tenang.

Putting ketika saya stres at the beginning emphasizes the condition (“When I’m stressed...”), while keeping it at the end focuses more on what helps you.

In writing, when you put the clause first, you usually add a comma:

• Ketika saya stres, dukungan keluarga membantu saya merasa tenang.

What is the difference between saya and aku in this sentence?

Both mean I / me, but they differ in formality and relationship:

• saya: more formal, polite, neutral; safe with strangers, in writing, in polite speech.
• aku: more informal/intimate; used with friends, family, or people your age or younger in casual contexts.

So:

• Dukungan keluarga membantu saya merasa tenang ketika saya stres.
  → neutral / formal, suitable for essays, presentations.

• Dukungan keluarga membantu aku merasa tenang ketika aku stres.
  → more personal and casual.

Why is stres spelled that way? Is it just English “stress”?

Yes, stres is borrowed from English “stress”, but Indonesian adapts the spelling to fit its own conventions:

• English: stress
• Indonesian: stres

In Indonesian, stres functions like an adjective (or sometimes a noun):

• Saya stres. = I am stressed.
• Pekerjaan ini membuat saya stres. = This job makes me stressed.

So the spelling stres (without the double s) is the standard Indonesian form.